


Mithridatism

by raediation



Category: Akagami no Shirayukihime, AnS - Fandom, Snow White with the Red Hair
Genre: Young!Zen, haruto being a sly bamf, i wish I had more of her though, not picking up what Izana's putting down
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-18 15:05:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9390260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raediation/pseuds/raediation
Summary: Haruto and Izana did a terrible thing. Izana tries to justify it to Zen, but he is too young to understand.





	

**Author's Note:**

> _Based on[this post](http://akagami-no-rae.tumblr.com/post/155827153136/so-im-sitting-here-thinking-about-what-sabraeal)_
> 
> * * *
> 
> Maybe read it real quick for some context because I don't really spell it out....

Prince Zen, no more than ten, sat on a table in the treatment room holding a chunk of ice wrapped in a towel to his swollen cheek.

 Earlier, a common guard on patrol in the city had come across a group of boys fighting. He pulled them apart and recognized one of the young brawlers to be the younger highness. He managed to discreetly drag Zen back to the castle where the palace guards delivered him to the pharmacy wing.

Garrack had most of his cuts and scraps patched up and had moved on to examining the inside of his mouth.

 "You’re lucky they knocked out a baby tooth,“ she released his chin and turned to write in his medical records. “You aren’t going to get any girl’s attention with a hole in your mouth.”

 Zen’s face turned red and he scrunched his nose in disgust. A trail of blood suddenly poured from his nostril as his nose began to bleed again. Garrack grabbed gauze, but watched helplessly as Zen used his sleeve instead to smear the blood across his upper lip. She looked at his soiled shirt from the new blood on the sleeve to the dry blood drops on this chest and all the holes and dirt covering it. She shook her head and handed him the gauze telling him to apply pressure.

 She leaned back on her desk and looked over the bruised and battered prince. She wanted to ask some questions about his fight, but his highness was already at that age where he’d become increasingly irritable and today, given his glower and the events earlier, he was especially irksome. Her curiosity wasn’t worth the headache. 

Just as she decided this, a palace guard knocked on the frame of the door. Zen pulled the ice and gauze from his face and turned his head away from the guard’s view.

 "His highness has summoned Prince Zen to his office,“ the guard responded. "I’m here to escort him.”

 "He’s not in the best condition to have an audience with his highness-“

 Zen suddenly stood up from the treatment table. 

 Garrack and the guard watched as he walked across the room to the basin of hot, soapy water Garrack had previously used for washing Zen’s wounds. He dipped his hands in, cupping the water, and splashed it onto his face. He did this several times before grabbing a clean, white towel that laid next to basin and dabbed his face dry. Garrack had washed his face clean of dirt, but when he set the towel down there were several red splotches covering it. He squared his shoulders and, with a completely new air, turned to address the guard. “Is there time for me to change my clothes?”

 A moment passed before the guard straightened, remembering the young boy’s rank, and bowed. “Of course, your highness.”

 Zen walked towards the door and the guard turned to lead the way. Once he reached the door frame Zen stopped. “Th-thank you, Chief Pharmacist.”

 Garrack blinked in surprise and Zen glanced over his shoulder at her. She shook her head, laughing to herself, and lifted a hand in a short wave.

 Zen gave a half smile in response then continued forward and out of sight.

* * *

 Zen stood outside the door of his brother’s office. He tugged at the collar of the formal shirt he’d changed into. Being dragged around and scolded by guards had been hits to his pride, but the mention of Izana made him remember his dignity as a prince. He also decided that he wouldn’t regret what happened. He was sure that if he just told Izana why he got in a fight, he’d be exonerated.

 The valet that had entered the room moments before to announce Zen’s arrival suddenly opened the door again to allow Zen to enter. Despite his resolve, Zen hesitated before he slowly entered the room. The valet exited at the same time and shut the door behind him.

 "Lord brother,“ Zen addressed him, but his eyes were fixed on the floor and they stayed there as he shuffled into the room. He felt the top of his head burning under Izana’s gaze.

 "Look up, Zen.”

Izana’s voice was calm if not slightly annoyed. Zen slowly lifted his head and, for a second, made eye contact with his brother before flicking his eyes away again. Izana stood in front of his desk wearing his usual stoic look, but there was a slight twist in his brow at the sight of his little brother’s face. 

 "You’re very fortunate that the guard who found you had the wherewithal to hide your identity. If word started spreading through Clarines that their prince was actually an urchin inclined to start fights in the streets, it would be a severe embarrassment, wouldn’t you agree?“

 "I didn’t start it.” Zen said with some frustration, but still not looking Izana in the eye. 

 Izana sighed, “Do I really need to remind you of you position?" 

"I know! That’s why I couldn’t let them-”

 Izana’s stern voice cut him off, “You don’t have the luxury to behave any way you’d like. Every action you take has a consequence.”

 Zen looked directly into Izana’s eyes. “It was about father.”

 Izana’s jaw tightened. 

 Zen’s moment of confidence faded and he turned his head away before he continued. “They said that his majesty was a bad king. That they were glad he was killed.”

 Hot, angry tears pricked the back of his eyes and he quickly bit the inside of his lip and tried to will himself from crying.

 "Is that all?“

 Zen’s face shot back up. Izana was leaned on his desk with his arms crossed and a single eyebrow raised in the faintest sense of interest. Zen gaped. "Lord brother?”

“Is that all they said to make you attack them?” Izana repeated again, slower. 

“They were slandering the king!” Zen yelled, not understanding why Izana was so calm about it.

 "Since when is it slander to call the sky blue?“

 Izana had said it like it was a matter of fact, something Zen should have known about their father that he most certainly did not know. Zen’s teeth clicked together when his mouth shut, he couldn’t take his eyes off Izana if he tried. 

"You’re just like his majesty.” Izana’s voice was almost wistful. Zen’s gaze followed as Izana walked to a table at the side of his office. There was a green plant with lots of vines growing from it and spilling from its planter and over the edges of the table underneath. Izana picked up a vine and began to inspect it. “He always thought the best solution to any problem was through it.” He dropped the vine and picked up another, “And that thinking is what got him killed.”

 Zen flinched at the word.

* * *

 His majesty had been poisoned. His mother too, though she survived the attack. It was done during a banquet that hosted several noble families, decorated soldiers, and the princes.

 A toast was given and everyone drank. Then the king and queen began to choke. The king collapsed immediately and Zen tried to run to him, but a hand grabbed him. It was Izana.

Zen tried to shake him off but his his grip was tight as he yelled at the guards lining the walls, “Quit gawking and save your king!" 

Awakened from their stupor, the guards began to push back against the crowd of panicking nobles, forming a perimeter around the royal family. One took hold of the queen who was strenuously holding herself up against the table, clutching at her chest and guided her collapse to the floor. 

 Zakura appeared by Izana’s side, "Your highness,” his sword was drawn and at the ready as he scanned the room of terrified faces, “you need to leave here, it isn’t safe." 

 "I understand,” Izana handed him Zen’s arm, “get Zen out of here." 

 Izana immediately knelt next to his parents and called for physicians. 

With no time to argue, Zakura pulled Zen from the room. A couple of guards flanked them for support.

Zen watched the chaos of the banquet hall from over his shoulder as he was pulled further and further away. He remembered feeling as if the world was about to end. 

 The king died there on the banquet hall floor. The queen clung to life long enough get treatment, though without a proper antidote, her body never made a full recovery. The most turmoil filled week in the recent history of Clarines followed thereafter. In which, Zen scarcely ate or drank more than clear water.

* * *

The cold things previously said left the brothers in a long silence. 

Zen finally spoke, though it was barely above a whisper. "I hate them." 

"Whom? Those boys who marred your face?" 

"No,” his hands clenched into fists by his sides, “I hate those murderers. Father didn’t deserve-" 

Zen felt his eyes begin to well again and quickly looked down. If he hadn’t of looked down at that moment he might have noticed Izana’s eyes widened and mouth fall slightly open as if he were surprised- even hurt- by the young boy’s words. 

He quickly collected himself and observed Zen for a long moment before speaking. "You enjoy climbing trees. Do you hate the gardeners?" 

"Why would I-” stammered Zen not realizing it was a rhetorical question.

 "Every couple years they cut off all the trees’ limbs. I recall you being upset the last this happened. Do you hate the gardeners?“

 "No,” replied Zen, very confused.

 Izana, again, dropped the vine he was inspecting and picked up another. This one was just as green as the others but all of its leaves past a certain point were crumpled rather than smooth. Zen liked the look of it.

 Izana picked up a small pair of shears that laid next to the planter. “When a plant contracts a disease you must cut off the infected vines or else the disease will spread and the entire plant will die.” He positioned the opened shears above the point where the leaves changed, “The same can be said for our kingdom. We must do whatever it takes to protect Clarines.” He closed the shears shut causing the vine to fall to the floor and lay at Izana’s feet. “Even if it means cutting off a part of ourselves.”

 There was another long silence.

 After thinking for a while Zen finally spoke, “Is there no medicine for plants?”

Izana had to stifle his laughter. Zen took a step back at the sight of his brother covering his mouth to contain himself. 

“I see this is still too abstract a concept for you,” said Izana once he collected himself. “Maybe in a few years…” he trailed off and returned to his desk.

 "May I be excused?“ Asked Zen.

 Izana sighed into his seat and rested his head in his left hand. He looked Zen up and down through his fingers, "I suppose." 

 Zen immediately turned and walked as quickly as he could for the door.

 "But don’t expect to go outside for the next two weeks.” Zen’s hand stopped at the door knob and he turned back to see his brother smiling at him with a sort of sick amusement. “You didn’t think I’d forgot the most fundamental sin in all this, did you? You are not to leave the castle grounds without permission and supervision.” He picked up his pen and began flipping through the stack of documents on his desk. “So let’s limit your boundary to the palace interior and see if you learn to appreciate the freedoms you have." 

Zen glared at him, but Izana looked up from his work with a smile, "Not to mention you need time for your wounds to heal. A prince can’t make public appearances with a black eye.”

 Zen gritted his teeth and bowed his head, “I understand.”

 He turned and exited the room. 

 The door clicked shut behind him and Izana stopped writing. The grip on his pen grew tighter until his knuckles were white then, suddenly, he dropped it. 

He sat up in his chair then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He sat like that for a moment. “Medicine…” he mumbled under his breath. He chuckled then shook his head, picked up his pen, and returned to his work.


End file.
